The Bandage Cuts Me Deeper
by M.Kena
Summary: Majorly Edited. Sam and Dean travel to Wenatchee Washington to investigate a string of killings. But will the brothers be the next victims?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Bandage Cuts Me Deeper

**Summary:** Majorly Edited. Sam and Dean travel to Wenatchee Washington to investigate a string of killings. But will the brothers be the next victims?

**A/N:** If you read the original, you'll notice half the story is missing. Lol. Well, that's because it was basically three totally separate stories, and I just decided to cut them up and then repost them. This is technically a companion to Walking Away, And Coming Back Again, as well as The Past Resurfaces (which would technically be the sequel). The characters in this story may also be used in The Ghost of You.

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**Chapter one; What Hell Must Look Like**

_Dean's mental journal; I've been with Sam for a while now. Not exactly sure how long it's been, all I've been keeping track of is how we've gone way longer without Dad than we ever have before. I'm getting worried. We got a call from him a week ago. He told us to stop looking. And then I almost got my ass killed by a scarecrow. Thank God Sammy's got a soul and he turned his scrawny ass back around to save my perfect one. I love that kid more and more every time he does something heroic. Of course, his good brother points did take a dive lately… after the incident at the damn asylum. Dr. Ellicott might have been possessing him, but I'm still pretty bitter about that damn rock salt. But it seems like that little outburst has helped Sam sleep better. As much as it irks me that Sam benefited from my pain… as long as Sam gets some decent sleep I guess it's worth it. _

"Spacing out again, Dean?" Sam whispered tiredly when Dean swerved back into their lane for the fourth time. It was about eleven a.m. and they were still on the road, and had been since noon the previous day. They were heading towards Wenatchee Washington where the locals' dogs and other house animals had been showing up on porches skinned with all of the internal organs and blood missing. Now sure, it could be a sick freak, but more than likely it was a supernatural sick freak.

Dean looked over at his brother. "Go back to sleep. I was just thinking about something. It won't happen again." Dean explained and then yawned widely. Sam rolled his eyes and sat up straight.

"You want to switch places?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head, a few extra shakes to wake him up.

"And end up in a ditch? I'll pass on that." Dean explained. Sam sighed and looked out the window. Down below the road was a man made lake, stumps of tree trunks jutting out all over. It looked a lot like heads bobbing in the lake. Whatever the name of the lake was, it would have been most fitting to be something like Death Crater. "Gives you chills, doesn't it?" Dean asked without taking his eyes off of the road. Sam nodded.

The lake was partially frozen over and there was a young couple with a toddler and a dog standing along the shoreline. The man was tossing a stick to the very edge of the thin ice and making his dog fetch it. Sam really couldn't believe some people's stupidity. He just prayed the toddler wouldn't be looking when the family dog turned into a popsicle.

"If I ever go to hell, I bet that's what the river of death looks like." Dean whispered absently.

"Except hell is supposed to be hot." Sam said back. Dean shrugged and looked at the wreck on the side of the road. Two small cars had slid on a patch of black ice. The red Honda had slammed into the side rail and the black Volvo had crashed into the side. The two owners were yelling at each other and the woman in the black Volvo was bouncing a baby on her hip and hushing her screaming five year old. Dean looked at his brother.

"Well I'll tell you what, if hell is supposed to scare you. That damn lake would do a really good job." Dean explained. Sam looked at the lake again, it stretched a good mile or so along the interstate.

"I bet it's gorgeous in the summer." Sam said longingly. Cold and snow did not suit him well. Dean nodded and then the lake disappeared behind a hill of snow covered trees. Dean let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. That lake had scared him more than he'd realized. It was like something you'd expect to see in a Steven King story about a murderous abominable snowman or something. "So, how much longer?"

"About two hours." Dean sighed and looked at the fuel gage. "We're going to have to stop soon though." He tapped the plastic. "Almost running on empty." He explained. Sam nodded.

"Good, I'm starving and I really need to stretch my legs."

"Well maybe if you weren't so goddamned tall…" Dean said grudgingly.

"Don't be jealous, shorty." Sam said gently. Dean shot him a look and punched his leg. Sam punched his arm.

"Dude! Don't hit the driver!" Dean yelled and then punched Sam's leg again. Sam groaned and Dean laughed. "Dead leg." He said with a proud smile. Sam rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. They were on a bridge, probably a hundred or plus feet over the forest. They passed a wreath hanging from the fence. It was obviously a grave marker, but they had passed so fast that Sam hadn't seen the face on the wind tattered picture.

"A few weeks ago a woman's car died along here. She was all alone and she didn't want to walk in traffic so she jumped over that little fence, thinking there was a sidewalk on the side. It was dark, so she didn't see that the sidewalk was a hundred feet down and covered in sharp rocks." Dean explained. Sam swallowed, feeling his stomach knot. He looked straight forward, avoiding looking down over the edge.

"It could have been suicide…" Sam whispered. Dean shook his head.

"Doubtful. She had just called her husband and said she was half an hour away. They were going out for their anniversary… she was three months pregnant. Doesn't sound like suicide to me."

"That's terrible."

"It's a terrible world, Sammy." Dean whispered. Sam looked at his older brother. As much as that statement had just surprised him, Sam decided not to bring it up. At least not now.

&&&

"Look at this." Sam yelled as he walked out of the mini-mart, waving a newspaper at his brother. Dean put the gas nozzle away and leaned against the car. Sam walked over and pointed to a small article in the corner of the local newspaper. "Front page, it's getting serious." Dean read the article quickly, his lips shaping each word. Sam smiled at this habit; Dean had never been good at reading in his head. Dean read the important parts, just incase his little brother had missed them.

"Last night, Gordon Gabriel found his horse lying down by the river, skinned with all of its organs mysteriously missing. There was not a drop of blood to be found in a two mile radius." Dean repeated. "His grand-daughter, fifteen year old Marie Carson is quoted as saying she heard "scratching noises outside her window and an hissing and then a screeching noise coming from the stables." She later explained to officials that when she went outside to investigate she saw the shadow of what she thought was a cougar in their barn. In a panic she ran back to the house to alert her grandfather. Soon after he found the body of Marie's beloved show horse brutally massacred. This is the twelve death of similar nature in the Wenatchee area. The local sheriffs department is issuing a statement to all residents to keep their animals inside at night." Dean looked at Sam. "Think this is our kind of problem?" Sam shrugged.

"Who knows, but that girl saw something. We have to talk to her." Sam explained. Dean sighed. "What?"

"Oh, it's just that little girls… they can't resist me, it's quite annoying." Dean explained. Sam shoved him playfully. "Oh, don't be jealous Sam, maybe she's into brains… which would shock me, but you never know."

"Just shut up and drive."

&&&

"Marie, honey, you have to eat." Ann Gabriel whispered to her granddaughter. Marie hadn't eaten since her horse died. She just sat there, staring at her plate. Ann looked at her husband. He set his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He sighed and put his hands on the table with a startling smack. Marie flinched, but her eyes never moved from the lump of potatoes she flooded with gravy.

"Marie, I've decided…" Ann glared at him. "We've decided…" Ann smiled and nodded. "That we are going to buy you a new horse. You were quite fond of the Nealson's little colt, remember? You named him… what was it?" Marie shrugged one shoulder.

"Tempest." She said in a small voice. Gordon rolled his eyes and looked at wife. For Christ's sake, Tempest? What the hell was wrong with Wind or Spot or something simple? Ann replied with a sidelong glance of warning. Gordon put on a smile for his granddaughter.

"Yes, Tempest. Well, they're willing to sell to us for you because you were such a help this summer. What do you say?"

"And let It eat him?" She said angrily, looked across the table at her grandfather. "I know neither of you believe me, but that was no cougar in the barn that night! It was on two legs, Grandpa. And what the hell type of cougar can skin a horse, huh? This is no fu-." Ann turned and grabbed Marie's wrist.

"None of that talk in this house! It was cougar! Go to your room if you're not going to be a polite young lady." Ann yelled. Marie yanked her wrist away, knocked her plate onto the floor and ran from the room. Ann and Gordon stared at each other. Ann shut her eyes when she heard the front door slam. "I swear to God, Gordon. If I hadn't promised her mother on her death bed that I'd take care of her… she'd be at a boarding school year round. I've gone and raised three children all ready! Is it too much to want to have some time to just you and me?" Ann yelled and burst into tears. Gordon got to his feet and walked to his wife, wrapping his long and strong arms around his petite wife. He kissed the top of her head.

"Marie is just like her mother. She'll get over this stage soon. Just be patient with her." Gordon whispered. "That horse was just about her only friend. It must be hard." Ann sighed and hugged her husband tightly.

"I just want to leave this God Forsaken hell hole… what if, what if she was right? What if it wasn't a cougar?" Ann asked. Gordon chuckled.

"Why Annie, you are sounding just like her now. What else could it have been?"

&&&

Marie stumbled through the dark of the surrounding woods. They lived in a small cabin on a hill that overlooked the river. If you felt like walking down a long hill to the river there was a nice swimming hole, of course it was much too cold to swim now, what with all the snow and ice, but it was a nice place to sit and think. A few nights ago she could have rode her horse down there…

She bent down and picked up a handful of rocks and began to throw them into the woods. "Why would you do something like that?" She screamed. "What kind of sick monster are you?" She heard a branch break behind her and she froze and turned.

"Yelling at the dark now, Marie?" It was Kyle Tanner, one of her classmates. Marie turned her face away and wiped her tears. She wasn't going to let Kyle Tanner of all people see that she had been crying.

"What do you want?" She asked and sniffled. Kyle shrugged and walked closer to her.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, I heard about what happened… I'm real sorry." He said honestly. Marie turned to him, a suspicious smile on her face.

"No you're not." She said with an eye roll. He nodded.

"Yeah, I am."

"No, you're not! You hate me, just like everyone else." She turned away again, but Kyle caught her arm.

"Look, Marie, just because you didn't fit in right away, doesn't mean anyone hates you." He explained. "But I mean, you kind of keep to yourself, it's not that easy to get to know someone who lives inside themselves." Marie looked down. "Did you even know I live next door?" Marie nodded and Kyle's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Oh, so then you know that those cookies were from me then…" She laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, um, but I think you forgot to put in sugar." She said and bit her lower lip. Kyle laughed.

"Yeah, well I did fail Home Ec. for a reason." They both laughed. "So, you want to go down to the river with me?" Kyle asked and held out his hand. Marie nodded and slipped her small hand into his.

&&&

"How the hell is a person supposed to find anything in a town like this?" Dean asked, frustrated to new heights with the little store. They were parked in a small gravel parking lot. There were twelve parking spaces. Twelve. That had to be some kind of record for a town hardware store/grocery store/mall. Sam was looking at the large array of hunting and fishing supplies. Call him a boy, but something about a peaceful day of fishing on the beautiful river they had been driving along for the past hour was calling to him. "Sam, get your ass over here!" Dean barked. Sam walked over.

"You called?" He asked with a grin. Dean scowled at him. "What's the problem?"

"We need to get to Gabriel's house… look at this map." He pointed to a map hanging from the wall. "They have people's house mapped, with the resident's name, but I cannot find the Gabriel place." Sam searched the map, he saw Sunitch Canyon, the Nealson place, the Fish Hatchery, but no 'the Gabriel place'.

"Can I help you with something?" A delicate voice asked. Sam and Dean turned around and Sam saw a huge smile grow on Dean's face. The girl standing in front of them was about twenty with long, wavy brown hair. In true little town fashion she was wearing some Daisy Dukes and a short, white wife beater tank top.

"Howdy." Dean whispered just loud enough for Sam to hear. "Actually, you can. We're looking for the Gabriel's place. They're old friends." Dean explained. She looked at him skeptically.

"You know the Gabriels?" She asked. Dean and Sam both nodded. "You sure?"

"Yeah, why is there a problem?" Sam asked. She shrugged and walked towards the map, squeezing herself between the brothers. Her ass brushing past Dean's crotch and her chest rubbing against Sam's chest. The brothers looked at each other and Dean waggled his eyebrows. Sam looked at him disgustedly.

"No, it's just that… well, since their daughter's accident… they haven't exactly been very social… with anyone. They send their granddaughter to do all their errands. They never leave the house anymore. I mean, when the newspaper came, that was the most anyone had heard from Gordon in almost a year." She sighed. "I mean, but being friends of theirs, you must know how hard Mary Ellen's death was on them." Sam and Dean nodded.

"Oh yeah, they haven't been the same since." Dean said with fake sadness. "It was really terrible for them, poor little…" Great time to block out the granddaughter's name Dean, he scolded himself. "…dear, she really needed her mother." The store clerk nodded and looked back to the map. Sam glared at Dean and Dean shrugged. She pointed to an unnamed cabin near the Nealson's place. "That's their cabin." She explained. "It's about fifteen minutes from here…" She turned to look at them. "It must have been a while since you've seen them, they've lived there their whole lives." Sam shrugged.

"Well, most of the time we exchange letters. We were really good friends with their daughter. This is the first time we've seen them since her death." Sam explained. She nodded.

"Well, tell them Nicole says hey." She smiled. "I hope I see you two on your way out." She said cheerfully. Dean smiled.

"You definitely will." He assured her. Sam started to leave. "Um, can I get your number…? I mean, I'm sure old man Gabriel will be dying to see you again…" Sam grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards the exit.

&&&

"I love to come down here, and just think." Marie explained and looked out at the river. "Isn't beautiful?" She asked and looked at Kyle, who was staring at her with a smile on his face. He nodded, the silver hoop earring in his ear flashing in the moonlight. Marie was cool enough to know the whole one ear pierced went out when Justin Timberlake started to sport one, but somehow, Kyle could pull it off.

"Really beautiful." He breathed, but never took his eyes off her. Marie smiled and bit her lower lip. Her ears got hot and she looked down at the sand. "So, how come I didn't see you at the dance last night?" Kyle asked. Marie shrugged.

"I'm not big on dancing by myself." She explained. Kyle smiled.

"I would have danced with you." He explained. Marie smiled shyly and giggled. When she looked up Kyle had moved and was sitting next to her on her rock. She stiffened her back and looked directly out to the water. She knew he was looking at her, but she was too nervous to look at him. She felt his hand slide onto the top of her hand. She heard a rustle in the trees and turned around.

"Did you hear that?" She whispered. Kyle shook his head.

"I didn't hear anything." He whispered back. She looked at him.

"I think we should go up." She started to stand, but he pulled her back down. "Kyle, I'm getting scared." She explained. Kyle grinned.

"Hey, Kyle Tanner is here. I'll protect you." He promised. "Marie, have you ever been kissed before?" He asked. Marie blushed profusely and shook her head. "So, this is your first kiss?" He asked and leaned in and kissed her softly. Marie closed her eyes and nodded slowly. She heard Kyle laugh gently. He kissed her again.

Ever since she had come to Wenatchee she'd felt alone. Her father had just died in an accident at work. He'd been helping the store manager with the crate; they were putting a shipment of lead pipes in a truck. Whoever was in charge of securing them hadn't done a proper job and the ties came loose. He and four other people were basically squished by a thousand pounds of pipe that would eventually end up as someone's plumbing. Marie had cried for five days straight. Every time she thought she had the strength to leave the room she's hear a toilet flush or a sink and burst into tears again. She still had to plug her ears every time she flushed a toilet. She got a little teary-eyed when she brushed her teeth. She'd sob in the shower.

Not even a year after her father's death, her mother, Mary Ellen, started to get really sick. The doctors associated it with depression and suggested that Marie move into a more stable household. So she and her mother moved in with Mary Ellen's parents. A month after the move, Mary Ellen died in her sleep. The coroners labeled it as a suicide. She'd overdosed on her father's pain medication he had for his back. Ever since then Marie had felt painfully alone. Then her grandfather got her a horse. Of course, we all know how that had turned out.

Marie opened her eyes and saw a dark shadow move behind Kyle. She pulled away and screamed. Both teenagers got to their feet.

"What, what was it?" Kyle asked, panicked. Marie hugged her arms and looked around.

"I'm not sure. But it was behind you. It was small and it…" They heard branches break and Marie screamed again. "Oh my god…" She whimpered. Kyle grabbed her hand.

"Come on." He whispered. They started to run towards the hill. When they broke through the clearing they stopped dead in their tracks.

Halfway up the hill stood the supposed cougar. It stood upright on two legs. No cougar she had ever seen could stand like that with such ease. Kyle pushed her behind him and she held his arm tightly.

"Just stare it down…" He whispered. She squeezed his arm.

"Kyle, this isn't an animal." She sobbed. The thing turned to them and its red eyes glowed in the night. Kyle took a deep breath.

"Jesus Christ, it's the Lockness monster's baby." He whispered. And if Marie hadn't been so scared she might have laughed. Maybe it was Nessie's child, but it sure as hell wasn't the 80's campy, Lockness. This Lockness was a monster, from its lizard like feet with sharp claws to its dripping fangs. This was the monster you feared as a child. The one you insisted inhabited every dark corner of your room at night. Only, Marie highly doubted this one was as fake.

"Does it see us?" Marie asked. The monster's red eyes glowed and the prominent spine protruded even farther. Marie knew this was a defense mechanism, it was trying to make itself look bigger. This disgusting, ferocious looking lizard-dog was just as scared as they were. It hissed and then let out a screeching wail. Then it charged.

"Yeah, I think it does." Kyle yelled and then started running, holding Marie's hand tightly, but Marie's feet wouldn't move. "Marie! Come on!" Marie shook her head. "Come on!" He begged. She still couldn't move. Kyle looked at her. "Sorry." He whispered and then let go and took off running into the woods. Marie closed her eyes and waited. She waited for those teeth to slit her throat. She waited for the monster to take her skin and then take her organs. She waited, and waited. Still she waited.

When she opened her eyes she was alone. No monster. No Kyle. Alone. She was exactly where Kyle had left her. At the bottom of the hill, her hand out where it had once been holding Kyle's. She took a few deep shaking breaths and willed herself to turn around, perhaps the monster was heartless. Maybe he wanted to give her a sense of hope that he slimy lizard-dog behind her.

"H… he… hello?" She said quietly. "Ky… Kyle?" She called. No answer. She took a step and waited, waited for the monster to hear it and come after her. Why was she alive? She had just stood there, why the hell hadn't the monster come after her? After a few more seconds of sheer confusion Marie started to walk. She was halfway up the hill when she heard the screeching noise again. She started to walk faster and heard it again. She started to run. She looked back, no monster was chasing her, but she still didn't feel safe. Something crawled over her legs, something with scales. She froze and her blood ran cold.

"Please…" She begged. "Please don't kill me." She sobbed and closed her eyes. For such a long time she had wanted to die. She just wanted to be with her parents again. But now, now she knew that life could get better. She didn't want to die now. Irony. It's a bitch. She felt a cold nose press against her bare shin, the teeth slightly touching her skin because they were too large to stay within the small mouth.

"Marie! Run!" Gordon yelled and cocked his shotgun and shot the monster. With a howl of pain the lizard dog turned, its thick tail knocking her legs from under her, she landed painfully on her right arm. Ignoring the uncomfortable tingle running through her entire limb, she watched fearfully as the monster advanced on her grandfather. She scrambled to her feet and ran into the woods. She heard another gunshot. "Run!" She heard her grandfather yell again.

Marie ran until she tripped over a rock and fell. She fell into a pile of ashes. At first she panicked and then realized she was in their fire pit down by the river. She sat up and saw the monster had followed her, and now he was circling around the fire pit, hissing, but never getting closer than two feet from the circle. Marie curled into a little ball in the circle of the fire pit and closed her eyes. She never slept, instead forced herself to think of her fifth birthday, when everything was perfect.

The monster circled the pit all night. Right before dawn she got the courage to look up at it. It was bleeding and insanely confused. Obviously when he had eyed prey he wasn't used to not getting it. But for some reason, he couldn't get her if she was in the fire pit. Whatever the reason was, she was certainly thankful. She looked at her legs, the scratches were caked with soot and her clothes were ruined. She had ashes in very uncomfortable places and really wanted to take a hot bath… even if she did have to be reminded of her father's untimely death while doing so.

"You can't get me." She taunted weekly, still holding her hurt arm against her body. The monster looked directly at her, baring his teeth in anger. "You want me but you can't have me." She laughed at it and it took a step back. "You're just a stupid, blood thirsty animal. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She started to cry again. "What did you go with my horse? And with Kyle?" She started to sob uncontrollably. "Where is Kyle?" She screamed. The sun started to come over the mountains. The monster looked at it, screeched and then ran off.

Marie sat in the fire pit for a moment, shaking, staring at the woods the monster had just disappeared into. She got to her feet and stumbled out of the fire pit. Her legs were extremely stiff and weak from a night without sleep, curled in a little ball. She walked towards the hill to her house, falling every once in a while. She got to the base of the hill and froze. Lying there, like a sick joke, was a skinless body. Except the monster had been kind enough to leave behind one ear. With an earring.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** The Bandage Cuts Me Deeper

**Summary:** Majorly Edited. Sam and Dean travel to Wenatchee Washington to investigate a string of killings. But will the brothers be the next victims?

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**Chapter two; When Man Meets His Waterloo**

"Dean!" Sam yelled, shaking his sleeping brother awake. Dean opened his eyes and groaned, hitting lazily at Sam.

"Leave me alone." He ordered and pulled a pillow over his face. Sam snatched the pillow and shoved a newspaper in Dean's face. Dean sat up angrily and seized the paper quickly, almost ripping it. "Dude, I got about two hours of sleep…" he stopped when Sam pointed to the headline. "Lockness" Dean asked skeptically. Sam sat on the other bed, pulled his legs up to sit crisscross applesauce, as the rhyme went.

"Read it." Sam said, his eyes wide. Dean skimmed through the article, mumbling as he went.

"Local girl, Marie Carson…" Dean looked up at Sam and he nodded. "Survives a grueling attack from what she and her grandfather can only describe as lizard-dog. She and friend Kyle Tanner, fifteen, were down by the river when they were attacked. The monster chased Tanner while Carson admits she was "frozen in fear". Minutes later she was attacked. Her grandfather came to her rescue and shot the monster twice with a shotgun before it took off into the woods in pursuit of his granddaughter. In young Marie's own words she "fell into the fire pit, where for some reason, the monster was unable to get me." She sat there all night, awaiting death while the monster circled her. When daylight broke it ran off and she found the courage to leave her haven, this is when she stumbled upon the skinless body who has been positively identified as Kyle Tanner." Dean set the paper down and they sat in silence for a minute.

"Do you have any idea what we could be dealing with here, Dean?" Sam asked quietly. Dean shook his head. "I mean, should we even try to deal with this? It's going to be a huge thing now, everyone is going to be trying to kill it." Dean stood up.

"That just means we have to do it first. The policemen, they don't have a clue as to what is out there. We do. If anyone is suited for this, it's us." Dean explained. Sam stood.

"I'm with you… but that man shot it twice Dean and didn't slow it down. I'm just saying maybe we shouldn't risk it." Dean sighed and looked at his little brother.

"Dude, it's going to keep killing. What would Dad do?" Dean asked. Sam gritted his teeth.

"Fine, if we do this, promise me we'll go to Sacramento." Sam held out his hand. Dean looked at it. "Fine, then we'll leave now…" Dean shook his hand grudgingly. "Okay, so we need to talk to that girl."

&&&

Sam knocked on the wooden door and waited for someone to answer. They had bought a bouquet of flowers, after all, what fifteen year old girl didn't love it when handsome men brought her flowers?

An elderly woman answered the door, opening it only enough so she could see who was at the door.

"Good evening, Ma'am." Sam said charmingly. "My name is Samuel Taylor, and this is my partner Dean Johnson. We're reporters with the Seattle Times, and we're interested in what happened here last night." Sam explained. "First, let me offer my condolences to your granddaughter." He nudged Dean and he lifted the bouquet into the old lady's sight line. "If we could, may we please come in and ask her a few questions?"

"Marie has answered enough questions. Can't you people just leave her alone?" She asked and started to slam the door.

"Grandma, wait." A gentle voice whispered. "It's really okay, I don't mind." The door opened and Sam and Dean looked at the girl standing there. She was not much taller than five foot three. She was petite, much like her grandmother. Her hair was a dirty blonde and it was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing jeans and a baggy gray sweatshirt. Her arm was in a sling and she had a few band-aides on her face. She smiled gently.

"Can we do this outside?" She asked shyly. "My grandfather has had it up to here with reporters." Sam smiled and nodded.

"Of course, whatever you want." He looked at her grandmother. "We should be done soon." She nodded hesitantly. Marie shut the door behind her. "We have a picnic table over here." She led them from the porch to the side of the house where there was a picnic table that had once been red, but most all of the paint had chipped off. She sat down on one side, with her legs underneath her and they sat across from her. "What exactly do you want to know?" She asked.

Sam and Dean observed how gentle she seemed. Her voice was so soft and quiet it was almost inaudible. She never looked into their eyes when she spoke and she often looked at the ground or put a hand in front of her mouth. She was, in lack of a better word, wrecked.

"Marie, can you tell us, exactly, what you saw?" Dean asked. Marie sighed and looked up at the sky.

"It was a lot smaller than you probably think. Only about the size of a coyote. It had no fur though… more like scales. It had those webbed feet, you know like a frog kinda…" She stopped. "With huge claws." She added with a slight smile. "Um, it's teeth were fangs and it had red eyes."

"Like bat's eyes?" Dean asked. She nodded. "Did it make any noises?"

"Yeah, um, it… it hissed." She explained. "It when it got mad… it screeched, like an owl on helium." Sam and Dean looked at each other. "You don't… you don't know what it was, do you?" She asked curiously. They looked at her and shook their heads. She put her head in her one good hand. "It skins things… leaves no blood and the only mark they find is puncture holes on the neck… how the hell does it do that, and get every organ from a body without cutting it open?" She asked. "I mean, what the hell could do that?" Sam reached across the table and patted her hand.

"Marie, I promised that Dean and I will find whatever did this. And we will stop it." Sam whispered. Dean nudged him, but Sam ignored him. Marie looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked. Sam smiled and shrugged.

"People who want to help."

&&&

"What the hell was that, Sam?" Dean whispered as they walked back to the car. Sam was waving to Marie who was standing in the doorway. Sam turned to his brother.

"Dean, she was scared out of her mind! She's fifteen and she's lost both her parents and last night she almost got killed! She needed someone to be nice to her!"

"Sorry Miss Sensitive." Dean said quietly. "I didn't realize you were so intuitive."

"I didn't realize you even knew that word." Sam snapped. Sam sighed as he got in the car. "I was thinking about the whole fire pit thing, it was a circle, you know, like a salt circle."

"But it was rock, not salt." Sam looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just amazed at how dense you are." Sam said with a snort of disbelief. Dean smiled.

"Why thank you… hey, that's an insult, isn't it?" Dean asked angrily and punched Sam's shoulder. "So, what do you think it is?"

"The only thing I could think is a vampire." Sam admitted. "That would explain why if fled at dawn and how there is no blood, but it doesn't account for the skinning of the victims."

"Yeah, and if it is a werewolf… won't Marie become one? I mean, it scratched her." Dean reminded Sam, touching his cheek to signify where Marie had been scratched.

"Getting bitten turns you Dean, not being scratched… at least I think so." Sam shrugged. Dean slapped the steering wheel.

"I've got it!" He declared. "Dracula, a werewolf and a Wendigo got together, had a threesome and this is their love child."

&&&

"I know what it was!" Sam yelled, slamming his paper down on the card table the hotel used as a breakfast table. It was probably one of the smallest rooms they'd stayed in yet. The worst part was, there was only one bed, which of course Dean had called. Dean looked at his little brother.

"Care to share this theory of yours?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow. Sam took a deep breath, a tell tale sign he was going to go into a long monologue.

"I think it's a chupacabra." Sam explained. Dean uncrossed his legs and leaned towards Sam.

"You're kidding…"

"No, I'm not." Sam showed him the paper. "I mean, Marie's description totally fits. The scales, the red eyes." He pointed to a picture, obviously photo shopped, but it was enough to go on. "According to this those red eyes can stun the victims and then the chupacabra can drink it's fill of blood, and it even says sometimes it takes the organs… all through two little holes in the neck." Sam hit the paper triumphantly. Dean smiled.

"Nice job, Hailey Joel." Dean whispered, taking a low shot at Sam's 'abilities'. Sam glared at him. "Okay, but how do you explain the skin missing?" Sam smiled.

"Skin is an organ isn't it?" Sam asked slyly. Dean nodded, also a smirk on his face.

"Silver bullet to the heart?" Dean asked. Sam nodded and Dean got to his feet. "Awesome, let's go kill this chuperacbra… or whatever the hell it is and get out asses on the road!"

"Okay, if you're going to kill it, at least be able to say its name." Sam said a smile.

"We're going to kill it Sammy, what's the flipping difference if I know its name or not?"

"It's respectful." Sam explained. Dean looked at him.

"Dude, college messed up your brain." Dean insisted and grabbed his bag to root through and find their box of silver bullets.

"I beg to differ. I think the way I was raised messed up my mind." Sam corrected.

"We were raised the same way, brother. My mind is fine…"

"I rest my case." Sam said with a snide smirk. Dean threw the bag at him, not particularly gently either.

"Grab your crap and let's go."

&&&

"What did those reporters want?" Ann asked slowly as she raised her forkful of green beans to her mouth. She had picked them herself and froze them so they could have some vegetables during the cold winter. Marie didn't answer. "Marie." She said sternly. Marie looked at her.

"Oh, what? Oh the reporters? They just asked the same questions everyone else did." She explained softly. Ann nodded, but Gordon wasn't convinced.

"You were out there an awful long time with them." She said suspiciously. Marie smiled as her brain thought up a perfect excuse. She set her fork down and looked at her grandfather.

"Grandpa, did you _see_ them?" She asked with her eyes wide. "Duh, I'm fifteen… they were _so hot_!" Her grandparents cleared their throats and all was silent again. Marie stifled a grin at her ability to cause such tension. There was a knock at the door. Marie looked towards it. "I'll get it." She got up and started towards the door.

"Marie…" Her grandmother called.

"Yes, Grandma?" Marie yelled as she walked down the hall.

"Please button your sweater." She yelled. Marie rolled her eyes and opened the door. Sam and Dean were standing there. Sam put a finger to his lips. "Uh, Grandma, Lindsey is here… we're going to go check on Tempest." She lied and grabbed a coat from the coat rack by the door.

"So did you decide you want that colt?" Gordon yelled. "Marie?" He asked with a frown. He looked across the table and his wife and shrugged. "She is so into horses."

Yeah, because it was totally the horses that she was infatuated with.

&&&

"It was right around down here." Marie explained and pulled her jacket tighter. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander to the cross that signified where Kyle's body had been found. Sam traced her sightline and looked at Dean. Dean nodded and walked off into the woods to explore.

Marie took a deep breath and walked closer to the cross, stopping in front of it as if there were an invisible barrier stopping her from touching it. Sam stood next to her and looked at the tears on her rosy cheeks.

"I barely knew him." She whispered, her breath showing in the air in front of her. She sniffled and smiled slightly. "He kissed me right before it happened… I didn't even know he knew who I was." She laughed as memories of butterflies having smack-down wrestling matches in her stomach whenever he was near came flooding back into her mind. "Have you ever lost someone?" Marie asked, turning to the older not-a-boy-but-not-quite-yet-a-man. Sam nodded.

"Yes, I have." He said and looked at her. "I promised you, it gets better with time." Marie nodded and suddenly Sam felt stupid. Of course she knew that. This was the orphan girl he was talking to. Sam looked at the teenager as she unhooked the necklace from around her neck and dropped to her knees in front of the cross.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, kissed the locket hanging from her silver chain, and hung it from Kyle's wooden death symbol.

Why did she get dealt such a bad hand? What had she done that made her deserve such heartbreak? Why wasn't she living in a big blue house with a white picket fence, gossiping with her mother or playing with her siblings, or watching her father interview her first boyfriend? Why did she had to be kneeling there, saying goodbye to the third person she'd ever cared for? Sam didn't understand how she… or how he and Dean had been chosen to live a life like this. It wasn't fair.

"I guess life isn't really fair, is it?" Marie asked gently. Sam shook his head, his uncombed, brown hair barely moving. She stood up, watching the cross. "He wanted to save me, but I couldn't move. I just stood there and it went after him. I was going to let it kill me, why didn't it just take me? He wanted to live…"

"Look Marie, I'm not exactly the most religious person… doing what I do it's hard to just think of something as an act of God. But I really think there was a reason you didn't die that night." Sam explained. Marie looked at him.

"You're not a reporter, are you?" She asked curiously. Sam laughed and shook his head.

"Dean and I are… well, we're hunters." He explained. For some reason he felt he could talk to this girl, something about her eyes were so kind and trusting. He knew she wouldn't judge him.

He knew she could understand him in a way Dean could never.

"Sam!" The yell was followed by a gunshot. "Get your ass over here!" Dean yelled from deep within the woods. His tone was urgent. Sam looked at Marie.

"Stay here." He ordered and then took off, leaving Marie alone with the cross.

But she wasn't exactly alone.

&&&

"What is it, what did you find?" Sam asked as he ran over to his brother who was knelt down next to a dead tree. Dean looked at him.

"Dude…" he whispered and pointed to what looked like a dead dog. Sam stopped.

"Dean, you shot a dog?" Sam asked incredulously. Dean glared at him.

"Does this look like any dog you've ever seen before?" Dean asked, lifting the back leg of the dog to show its raised spinal column. "I bet you its got razor sharp fangs and red eyes too." Dean explained.

"Well then this is good right? You killed it." Sam said with a smile. "We can go home and Marie doesn't have to worry anymore." But Dean's silence was all too loud. "What, what is it?"

"Sam, I really doubt there is only one." Dean whispered. "These things don't need that much food to survive, there have been twelve…" Sam interrupted.

"Kyle was thirteen." He said instantly. Dean nodded, but gave his brother a strange look.

"Yeah, thirteen kills. Sam, I bet there is a whole pack." Then they heard Marie scream. "You left her alone?" Dean yelled before running towards the noise. Sam wished silently that he could kick his own ass and then ran off after his brother.

&&&

Marie heard the branch snap and she turned around. She hadn't even considered it could come again. She didn't figure lightning would strike her twice. She stared at the thick group of trees from which the noise had come. She saw a blur of movement and even though she tried to stifle the scream in her throat, it charged into the stale air at full gallop.

In an instant the two "reporters" were at her side, Dean's gun aimed and at the ready. Sam grabbed her and stepped in front of her to protect her from however many chupacabras were ready to attack and suck her organs through her neck.

"Where are they?" Dean asked, eyes darting wildly across the scenery, looking from something small and ugly.

"Sorry… I just thought I saw something." Marie said in her small voice. Dean sighed and turned to her, lowering his gun. She looked at him and smiled innocently. "I really am sorry." She said again. Dean had been about to scold her and bring up the whole "boy who cried wolf" shtick, but she was obviously really sorry, and something about those big sad eyes made her impossible to scold. Dean could see a lot of familiarity in those eyes. They reminded him of Sam's, even a little of his own. They were full of abandon… full of self worth issues and full of pain. They were big windows to her big, broken soul.

But Sam wasn't convinced she hadn't seen something. Maybe it was his "shining" maybe it was just common sense, but he had a feeling Marie wasn't the type to scare easily. If she screamed, there was a reason for it. Even if she didn't know it. Sam heard a hiss and he nudged Dean.

"You hear that?" Sam whispered. Dean turned and shook his head. The three scanned their surroundings, but saw nothing. "You didn't hear it?" Sam asked again.

"No Sam, I didn't hear anything." Dean said angrily. "What the hell was I supposed to…" There was another low hissing noise, much like a threatened cat would make. "I heard it." Dean whispered and raised his gun again. Marie grabbed Sam's arm tightly when they heard it a third time. He wrapped an arm around her protectively and held her close to his side. She grabbed his shirt and covered her face with the loose material. He wasn't so much her cute-little Sammy-Bear, but more like her protect-me-from-the-evil-monster Samuel. At the moment, a crush on these fine older men was the last thing she was thinking about… okay not the _last_, but it was very low on her list.

"Get her back to the house." Dean ordered. Sam stared at him with a "yeah right am I going to leave you alone with a pack of blood suckers" look. Dean sighed. "Well we have to get her somewhere safe!" Dean said angrily. "It's close." Marie was breathing heavily, and she was close to tears.

"Marie, I need to have my hands free… but I promise Dean and I won't let anything happen to you." Sam whispered and he pried himself free from her clammy hands. He pointed to a rock on the edge of the river bank. "Stand on that and scream really loud if one gets close to you."

"Saaammm…" Dean said warningly. "Look at the bushes." They could see several pairs of red eyes staring at then.

"Don't look at their eyes!" Sam yelled, Dean immediately averted his gaze. Sam walked closer so they were standing back to back as more and more eyes appeared in the bushes.

"If they stun you, you're alive when they kill you…" Sam explained. Dean grimaced.

"So you feel them skin you and slowly drink your blood?" Dean asked. Sam nodded and they heard Marie squeak. She had just realized how terribly Kyle had died… but he hadn't died, he'd been massacred by things that weren't even animals. Sam and Dean both looked at her. Marie screamed and pointed.

"Look out!" Sam and Dean turned back quickly as about eleven chubacabras jumped from the bushes and charged. Dean shot one in the face and it fell. The others froze, taking in the sight of one of their own, decimated in a mess of blood and brains. Dean grinned.

"Looks like dinner, does it fellas?" He asked. Sam couldn't help but smile a little at the cocky tone to his brother's unfaltering voice. They began to screech. Marie clapped her hands over her ears and the brothers winced at the ear shattering noise. It was a tone deaf owl choir. Dean cocked the shot gun, empty shells clattering to the rocky ground, and fired on another lizard-dog. Sam followed suit. Seven were blown to pieces before they even got close. The four remaining ran full speed.

"Sam!" Dean yelled when a particularly feisty "goat-sucker" grabbed hold of the youngest Winchester's leg and tore at the flesh. Sam let out a yell of pain. Dean turned the gun to the evil critter, but before he could pull the trigger a large rock fell from no where and broke the thing's prominent spine. With a fading screech it released Sam's calf and died. Dean turned and Marie was standing there, a look of defiance on her tear stained face. "Nice." Dean said admiringly. Marie shrugged.

"Thanks." But she never took her eyes off her kill. Sam on the other hand, limped over to the rock she had previously been sitting on and sat heavily, looking at his leg. Marie hurried over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked. Sam nodded, his jaw clenched tightly.

Dean grabbed his brother's arm, pulling him to his feet. "Lean on me, but we have to get the hell out of here. I was right, there's a pack, and it's big." Dean explained. He gave Marie Sam's gun. "You know how to work one of these?" He asked. She shook her head. Dean flipped off the safety. "Aim and shoot. Stay close, we have to make a run for it." Marie turned to look at the woods she had one considered a second home, even more eyes were staring at them through the bushes. She got a sick feeling in her stomach. How many nights had she spent alone with these things watching her? How many bumps in the night weren't just the wind?

Marie's subconscious went back to first semester World History and her project on Napoleon Bonaparte. She had a sinking feeling this was their Waterloo.

&&&

Once she knew they were inside, Marie slammed the barn door closed, and bone shattering thuds against it gave a shocking realization to exactly how fast those monsters had been closing in. She leaned all of her weight against the door, but each time a chupacabra slammed against it her feet slid a little farther and it opened a little wider.

"I can't hold this!" She yelled. Dean was currently inspecting the injury on his brother's leg.

"Can you walk?" Dean whispered and looked at his brother. Sam looked at him. "Don't be a tough guy and lie to me, Sammy." Dean said sternly. Sam sighed.

"No, probably not." He admitted. Dean nodded, looked around the barn and grabbed a shovel. He pushed Marie away from the door and put the shovel through the two door handles, a makeshift lock, but it would have to do for now.

"Is there any of way in?" Dean asked Marie. She shook her head. "You sure?" Marie shrugged.

"Unless they use the loft window upstairs, I don't think so." She explained. "But… this is a barn, none of the windows have glass on them."

"Let's just hope they're stupid." Dean whispered. Sam snorted.

"When are they ever stupid?" He asked his brother. Dean paced back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. If only he could get his hands on an AK-47 with silver bullets. Wait… that rock had killed it. Maybe they didn't have to be killed with silver bullets. Dean walked to the wall of farming tools and grabbed a pitchfork and headed towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked suspiciously. Dean looked at his brother and grinned.

"Sammy, would I ever put you in danger?" Dean asked honestly. Sam looked at him with narrow eyes.

"Not intentionally…" Sam agreed.

"So then trust me." He leaned against the barn door and pulled the shovel from it and handed the shovel to Marie. "Hit them with it as hard as you can." Dean explained and then stepped away from the door and waited for them to charge inside.

The door swung open. Dean took a breath, prepared to go out in a Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid fashion… but when he looked to his right Robert Redford was not next to him. Instead he heard screams coming from Marie's house, and a shovel falling to the ground. From the corner of his eye he saw Marie running towards the house.

"Marie! Stop!" Dean ordered. But she didn't. Dean ran to his brother, but Sam waved him off.

"Go get her! I'll be fine." Sam assured Dean. He hesitated. "Now Dean, go!" In a voice that mirrored their fathers', Dean ran off, grumbling something about a stupid teenage girl.

&&&

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Marie yelled when she opened the door. There was no answer and she ran down the hall to their bedroom. She should have known as soon she saw that the door was broken in that something was wrong. Nothing ever went right, what made her think this time it was going to be different? Part of her knew, knew that she wouldn't like what she would see. But another part, a much bigger part, the part she thought had up and left with Kyle's death, the young innocent part of her wanted to believe that her grandparents would be sleeping in their bed, the lamp still on and her grandmother's Jane Austin book lying on the floor just as it always was.

Ever since her mother died she knew there was no such thing has happy endings. But that didn't stop her from charging into the lions den and alerting them of her presence with a blood curdling scream.

&&&

Sam clutched his injured appendage distastefully. He hated feeling helpless, especially now. He had promised Marie nothing would happen to her. Sam didn't like lying. As much as he hated lying, he hated dying even more. But he had a feeling both were crawling towards him… that or those red eyes wanted to be his friend. He doubted that as much as he believed his promise to Marie was going to be kept tonight.

If the pain hadn't been clouding his mind so, he would have remembered to avert his eyes… but his mind was on overcast and soon he found he couldn't move. He slowly slid from the barrel of hay he was on and went limp on the ground. He also began to realize while he was paralyzed from movement, he was not paralyzed from feeling… that became painfully obvious when the owner of those stunning, literally, red eyes clamped down on his arm and began to drag him from the barn with shocking strength.

Words built up in Sam's throat, but his lips wouldn't move. When he'd been stunned his jaw was closed tightly in pain, and so closed tightly it remained. No words were getting out of that mouth.

So no one would hear him.

&&&

Marie froze in the doorway. She couldn't tear her eyes from the sight. Four chupacabras were feasting on her grandparents… their bloody corpses still lying peacefully in their bed. Marie screamed. Even when the creatures turned to her, licking blood off their long teeth, blood dripping from the wiry hairs on their snout, she didn't stop screaming.

"Marie!" Dean ran into the house and grabbed her. He paused long enough to look into the room. "Oh God…" He whispered. "Marie, come on…" She shook her head, frozen in place again. Just like last time. Now she knew why. Those red eyes, they had stunned her last time… but the monster hadn't killed her. She looked at Dean.

"Don't move." She whispered. Dean looked at her like she was insane.

"I'm going to carry you then." He started to fling her on his shoulder, but she hit his arms away.

"Dean, last time I stood in place and it chased Kyle! It chased him because he was moving! If we don't move it won't want us!" She screamed and then held her breath and stood as still as she could. Dean rolled his eyes.

"If they take one step closer I'm running away with you over my shoulder." Dean muttered and then froze in place. Marie closed her eyes, but Dean watched as those monsters drank every last ounce of blood from Marie's grandparents. It was like watching 9/11 again. Dean could remember sitting on a grimy hotel bed, watching the planes crash over and over again on CNN. You couldn't watch, but you couldn't very well look away either.

Dean hadn't noticed before, but Marie was sobbing, not moving or making any noise, but huge tears were rolling down her cheeks. She opened her eyes and they made eye contact.

"I'm so sorry." He mouthed. She nodded and then closed her eyes again.

&&&

Sam groaned as he was dragged over yet another sharp rock. He was sure his back hadn't an inch of skin left. Maybe this was how they skinned their victims. Sam twiddled his left pointer finger. Whatever it had done to him wasn't permanent, it was wearing off, slowly, but it was wearing off.

It was a great reflection period, that was for sure. In between excruciating run ins with sharp rocks, Sam's life flashed before his eyes, in a movie like fashion. He remembered that night he had admitted to his father that he was afraid of the dark. His father sat him down, put his hand on his son's shoulder, and produced a .45 from his belt.

_"You hold on to this Sammy. If you ever feel like you're threatened by something dangerous, don't hesitate."_ John Winchester had advised. Even now it was ludicrous… to hand a young child a gun… of course it had taught Sam an important lesson; Daddy was crazy.

Another important moment that played slowly in his mess of a subconscious was the time John brought his work home with him. He'd been trying to destroy a poltergeist, but instead of haunting the house, it'd been haunting an old fourteenth century vase the family had had. It was worth a lot and the family hadn't had any money so they had given the vase to John, he had put it in Dean's room because Dean had needed a container to put his shotgun shell collection in. "_I can reuse these…"_ Dean had insisted. Of course then Sam thought he was being retarded, but those rock salt bullets he'd come up with were nothing less of Dean Genius.

But that vase had nearly killed the oldest Winchester. That ghost was angry, his home being filled with old shotgun shells, which of course, Dean never bothered to wash. So the dirt is what drove the ghost to madness… well it was certainly a factor in Sam's twisted version of the events that unfolded the day John had returned with the antique prize.

Sam had been sleeping soundlessly when he was woken by Dean's screams of panic. Sam heard John run down the hall, yelling his son's name. Sam had crawled out of bed, walking slowly down the hall, hearing his father yell in Latin and weird noises and lights coming from Dean's room. Nothing had ever scared Sam so badly before, and never again after. He thought he had lost his brother than night. When Sam had finally gotten the courage up to rush into the room, John had run out, Dean's limp body in his arms and run into the kitchen, setting Dean on the kitchen table. The ghost had attempted to slit the older brother's throat, but instead had barely broken the skin. But during the entire mess Dean had been thrown against a wall hard enough to break his arm.

The three Winchesters had slept in the same room for weeks after that. John was too scared to take his eyes off his boys and Sam was too scared he was going to loose Dean for real.

And now, sharp rocks digging into his bloodied back, a lizard-dog dragging him deeper into hell on earth, Sam would give anything to be squeezed into a little bed, personal space way over-invaded, with his family again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** The Bandage Cuts Me Deeper

**Summary:** Majorly Edited. Sam and Dean travel to Wenatchee Washington to investigate a string of killings. But will the brothers be the next victims?

* * *

**Chapter three; The Sounds Of Death Cry Music To My Ears**

After what seemed like forever, the chupacabras were gone. Dean let out his breath and watched as Marie slowly slid to the floor.

"Whoa, hey…" Dean knelt next to her. She pulled her knees to her chest and covered her face.

"I don't have anyone…" She sobbed. Dean put a hand on her dirty, cut knee. He shook his head.

"That's not true. Sam and I will find you somewhere to go." Dean assured her. She didn't answer. "Come on, I'm going to lock you in attic…" She shook her head.

"No, I'm coming…" She insisted. Dean shook his head.

"No, you're really not." Dean corrected. She looked at him.

"Those things killed my family! I won't let you fight my battle!"

"Girl, you are fifteen years old! I will not let you get killed! Go up there and barricade the door." Dean yelled angrily. Marie got to her feet slowly. He reached up and pulled down the stairs from the ceiling. "GO!" He barked. Marie climbed the stairs quickly and he shut them after her.

"Wait!" He barely heard her through the ceiling.

"What?" Dean yelled impatiently, looking up at the fake orange wood planks.

"What if you die?" She yelled back. Dean thought for a moment.

"Well, then you're going to starve to death." Dean yelled back and then ran off. Sam might be a gimp, but he couldn't do this alone.

&&&

Sam could move his whole left hand and most of his fingers on the right hand. He could rotate his left foot and bent the toes on his left. He turned his head to the side and then to the other.

The chupacabra had left him alone in the woods. Well, the adult chupacabra had left anyway. There were five sleeping babies cuddled up against him. Obviously their liking of blood and human flesh was acquired at an older age; right now all they wanted was his body heat. Still, each time one moved and rubbed its scales or spinal column against Sam's skin he shuddered.

He just prayed Dean realized he was missing soon.

&&&

Dean's veins froze. His blood was ice. His head ached and his breathing became trouble.

The barn was empty.

Oh God. His heart was going to stop beating. He was going to fall dead. Rosebud.

'Shake it off, Dean.' His subconscious screamed. 'Look around, where could Sammy be?' 'Where could he have gone?' Dean saw the telltale sign that something had been dragged. There was a long groove in the dirt where all the dead leaves and pine needles had been pushed to the side. Something large had been dragged away. Dean cocked his gun and followed the trail at a full out run.

He just couldn't deal with a lizard-dog who was a sixth their size, getting the better of them and getting Sammy out of the deal.

&&&

Sam sat up. "Dean!" Sam yelled and used his arms to drag himself away from the waking puppies. They looked like normal puppies, you know, except for the scales and the pink-almost-red eyes.

"Sam!" A voice responded. Sam couldn't put into words how relieved he was. He almost started to cry, but he knew how Dean would take that. "Sammy, where are you? Sam!" Dean yelled.

"Follow my voice!" Sam had barely finished that statement before Dean was pulling him to his feet. They were about to run, well Dean was about to run with Sam dragging behind him, but Sam stopped them. "Wait, look." He pointed to the puppies, they were standing, sniffing the air. They're eyes fell on Sam and they advanced towards him.

"They smell your blood." Dean whispered and stepped in front of his brother. "I hate to think of killing puppies, but…" He closed his eyes, leaving one open to a squint and shot the puppies with his gun. Dean turned to Sam. "I want to go home." Dean whined and grabbed Sam's arm, putting around his neck. "I just killed mutated house pets… I really want to go take a shower."

"Where is Marie?" Sam asked and used his shorter brother as a human crutch.

"I locked her in the attic. Sam, her grandparents are dead. It was horrible, Sam…" Dean whispered. "Man, if I were to have seen something like that at her age… she's never going to recover from something like that."

&&&

Marie opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. She didn't care what happened to her now. She just wanted to kill every last one.

&&&

"What's the plan?" Sam asked as Dean bandaged his leg.

"To get you to a hospital, your back is thrashed dude." Dean explained. He looked up. "Besides, it's almost morning… they'll run away pretty soon." Suddenly Dean smiled. "But if we follow them and find their home, we can set it on fire while they're inside…"

"And kill them all! Dean, you're a genius!" Sam said excitedly. Dean nodded.

"I've said it before, you don't have to go to college to be a genius." Dean insisted. He pulled his bag off his shoulder and set it down. He rummaged through it and handed Sam a squirt bottle of gas, which was another handy little method Dean had come up with. Dean pocketed a lighter and then slapped a gun into Sam's hand. "You protect yourself… I'll be back." Dean whispered and patted Sam's knee.

"Be careful, man." Sam said in the manliest way he could. Dean nodded and then ran off. Sam cocked the gun and willed himself to stay alert.

&&&

A branch broke and Sam sat up straighter. It'd been twenty minutes since Dean had run off. He was getting bored.

"Dean?" Sam yelled uneasily. There was no answer, just another broken stick. "I hate the woods." Sam whispered.

"Sam?" Marie called and stepped out of a thick gathering of tree. Sam looked at her.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked angrily. "I almost shot you." He yelled. Marie put her hands into her pockets. "Go back to the house." She shook her head.

"Where did Dean go?" Marie asked. Sam shook his head.

"No, I'm not telling you." Sam explained. Marie shrugged.

"Okay then I'll just wander around the woods alone." She started to walk away and Sam sighed. He pointed to the direction Dean had run off in and Marie smiled quickly and followed Dean's trail.

Sam sighed at himself again. He had just gotten bettered by a fifteen year old. This dent to his ego was going to take weeks of ragging on Dean to repair.

&&&

Dean crouched down behind a rock and watched as seven chupacabras walked into a cave, in a neat little single file line. Just like grade schoolers.

"What are you going to do?" Marie whispered in Dean's ear. Dean reeled back and almost yelped, but managed to capture the noise in his throat. He shot her a glare and then checked to make sure the chupacabras hadn't heard, and then looked at Marie again.

"You are really getting on my nerves." Dean hissed. "I told you to stay in your house." He reminded her.

"I know these woods like the back of my hand. You need me." Marie insisted. Dean shook his head.

"No, I really don't. Now go back to Sam." Dean ordered. Marie looked at him.

"You are not the boss of me." She started to get up, but Dean grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. "Hey!" She yelled. "Get off me!" Dean shook his head. "I will scream."

"Oh, and alert the monsters? Go right ahead Princess…" Dean grunted as she threw her elbow up and caught him under the chin. He gagged and grabbed his throat. She scrambled to her feet, but he grabbed her ankle and she fell back down. "Are you stupid?" Dean yelled and dragged her back behind the rock. "Those things… they will kill you."

"They killed my family! What would you do if they killed Sam?" Marie yelled back. Dean stared at her for a moment. Way to play the Sam card. "Please, let me do something?" She whispered. Dean sighed.

"Count to two hundred and then come in." Dean whispered and then got to his feet and walked slowly into the cave.

&&&

Dean almost hit his head on the low rock ceiling for the fifth time. He cussed inaudibly at the rocks and continued to walk slowly, his gun at the ready, and his head ducked low. Sam would have decapitated himself by now, the freaking giant he was.

The cave was small enough to make Dean feel a little panicky, small spaces had never really affected him before. He spent most of his days inside a car, how could they?

Suddenly the cave opened up. It was like a miniature mausoleum, with the domed ceiling and huge tall pillars. Dean took in his surrounding quickly, but thoroughly, just as John had taught him to. There were just seven left. Dean pulled out the gas bottle and began soaking the ground at his feet. When he was satisfied with emptying almost all of the gas on the exit of the cave he took a deep breath and took a step closer towards the sleeping monsters.

"Dean." Marie whispered. Dean whirled around and glared at her.

"I thought I said two hundred." He hissed back. She shrugged and walked back to her. "Okay…" He handed her the lighter. She looked at him.

"Can I do this alone?" She whispered. Dean looked at the sleeping creatures hesitantly. "I'll yell for you if anything happens." She assured him. Dean nodded and then headed out through the tunnel. Marie flipped open the lighter and stared at it as she produced the flame with her thumb. She took one last look at the sleeping monsters and dropped the lighter, killing them in their sleep, just as they had done to her grandparents. Marie walked away slowly as the heat from the fire licked at her heels and the cries of death rang music to her ears.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** The Bandage Cuts Me Deeper

**Summary:** Majorly Edited. Sam and Dean travel to Wenatchee Washington to investigate a string of killings. But will the brothers be the next victims?

* * *

**Chapter four; Everything That Isn't You**

"Take care of yourself, okay?" Sam whispered before hugging Marie tightly. She nodded and looked up into his eyes. Sam smiled and put a hand on the top of her head. She mouthed "thank you" and hiked her bag higher on her shoulder when they pulled away. "Don't hesitate to call, either."

"Thanks, _Dad_." Marie said mockingly and rolled her eyes. Sam smiled and looked at Dean who had his hands shoved in his pockets, avoiding looking at Marie. Sam nudged him. Dean cleared his throat.

"Well, uh, so… bye." He said in a deep voice and patted her arm. Marie smiled and threw her arms around his waist.

"Bye." She whispered. Sam laughed and Dean groaned and put one arm around her hesitantly, but he was smiling. She let go of him and then walked towards the terminal. Marie had contacted her aunt Lois in Fernie Canada and that was where she was headed now. She turned to wave one last time before the flight attendant shut the double doors. Both brothers let out a sigh.

"What did I tell you Sammy?" Dean asked. Sam looked at his older brother. Dean rolled his head towards his brother and his mouth quirked up into a smile. "Little girls, they can't resist me." Sam socked his shoulder. "What, were you crushing on her?" Dean asked innocently. He gasped. "I think that's illegal, Sammy. You sick freak." Sam grinned and waved something in front of Dean's face.

The Impala keys. Dean grabbed for them, but Sam held them above his head.

"How did you get those?" Dean asked sternly. Sam pocketed them and shrugged. "Give 'em to me." Dean ordered. Sam started walking. "Sam…" Dean yelled sternly.

"Sorry… I can't hear you down there!" Sam yelled back and waltzed off with a gimp leg towards the parking lot.

* * *

The End. 


End file.
